Moon urges N. Korea to move on to nuclear dismantlement

Moon urges N. Korea to move on to nuclear dismantlement

Posted September. 14, 2018 07:23,

Updated September. 14, 2018 07:23

Moon urges N. Korea to move on to nuclear dismantlement.
September. 14, 2018 07:23.
by Sang-Jun Han alwaysj@donga.com.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Thursday has urged North Korea to proceed to the stage of dismantling its nuclear weapons, materials, facilities and programs that it currently has. He made the remarks ahead of his upcoming inter-Korean summit to be held in Pyongyang from next Tuesday.

“It can be seen that North Korea has given up its process of further developing and advancing its nuclear (weapons) and missiles,” the president told a special group of advisers for the preparation of the inter-Korean summit. “It can be viewed that (the North) has taken measures to give up its future nuclear weapons.”

He said that the U.S.-North Korea denuclearization talks are deadlocked, as Pyongyang wants Washington to take corresponding measures before the North takes additional measures. Moon's remark is a call on Washington to take additional measures other than halting U.S.-South Korea military exercises under the principle of “simultaneous action.”

“I do not hold a pessimistic view on the current situation,” the president said, adding that Seoul will play more active roles as a mediator between Washington and Pyongyang through his upcoming summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump. “I believe finding an intersecting point to restart the dialogue, and to have (North Korea) denuclearize and (the United States) take corresponding measures is the role we must serve,” he noted.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Thursday has urged North Korea to proceed to the stage of dismantling its nuclear weapons, materials, facilities and programs that it currently has. He made the remarks ahead of his upcoming inter-Korean summit to be held in Pyongyang from next Tuesday.

“It can be seen that North Korea has given up its process of further developing and advancing its nuclear (weapons) and missiles,” the president told a special group of advisers for the preparation of the inter-Korean summit. “It can be viewed that (the North) has taken measures to give up its future nuclear weapons.”

He said that the U.S.-North Korea denuclearization talks are deadlocked, as Pyongyang wants Washington to take corresponding measures before the North takes additional measures. Moon's remark is a call on Washington to take additional measures other than halting U.S.-South Korea military exercises under the principle of “simultaneous action.”

“I do not hold a pessimistic view on the current situation,” the president said, adding that Seoul will play more active roles as a mediator between Washington and Pyongyang through his upcoming summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump. “I believe finding an intersecting point to restart the dialogue, and to have (North Korea) denuclearize and (the United States) take corresponding measures is the role we must serve,” he noted.